Falling Star:Untold Story of Astoria Greengrass
by Astoria M. Greengrass
Summary: It is September 1, 1993. Astoria Greengrass is entering her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Thirteen-year-old Draco Malfoy is heading into his third year. We've heard Harry's tale, but nothing of these two. Now it's their turn.
1. Prologue: September 1, 1993

Disclaimer: _I do not own any of the characters or the world in which this story takes place. All credit goes to J.K. Rowling._

**Falling Star:**

**The Untold Story of Astoria Greengrass**

By: Astoria Greengrass

Prologue

_September 1, 1993_

"Daphne, I don't want-!"

"Shut _up!_ You'd better be happy that I'm not making you sit alone, because trust me I would if Mum didn't pester me for half an hour and threaten me with having to spend the entire summer holidays locked up with you!"

Thirteen-year-old Daphne Greengrass grabbed her little sister's arm and dragged her into the small train compartment. Astoria's stomach clenched and fluttered with nervousness and her feet dragged. The door slid shut ominously, followed by a few sniggers. Astoria struggled briefly, trying to twist out of the cage made up of her sister's well manicured talons before a voice interrupted the scuffling.

"Who the hell is this little prat?" someone snarled in snippy, girlish pitch. Astoria turned to look at the person who had spoken. The third year girl was glaring up at her from her seat with hard little eyes through a short bob of inky hair. Her mouth was curled up in a sneer that made her face scrunch slightly, like a pug.

Daphne's crystal blue eyes rolled skyward before she jerked on Astoria's arm and pushed her down onto an empty space near the door. Astoria jumped up defiantly, scowling, but Daphne's hand shot out and shoved her back so that she hit her head against the doorframe. She gave a short "Ow!" before a chorus of mean laughter filled the compartment.

"This is just my baby sister Astoria," Daphne leered through her giggles, "she's an ickle firstie." Astoria glared, her dark brown eyes boring into Daphne's. Her thin little fists clenched in anger, but she tried to force it down. She held her composure for about thirty more seconds before she lost it.

"I am _not _a baby! Stop talking to me like you're an adult because you're nothing but a prissy cow!"

No one laughed at this. In the right corner closest to the window a pale boy sitting next to the pug-faced girl smirked. He turned to Daphne lazily.

"You'd better teach your sister to mind her tongue, Greengrass, or she might end up in Gryffindor with Potty and the Weasels."

Cackling bounced off the compartment walls, the loudest coming from the pug-faced girl who was doubled over, her head leaning onto the pale boy's shoulder. Astoria felt a surge of rage burn through her like branding iron. Her eyes narrowed.

Daphne's laughter eventually died, but only after her eyes were leaking with tears. She swept some of her honey tresses over her shoulder haughtily. "Then she's doomed! That's just _too_ bad! Mum will disinherit her. I personally don't care, that would mean more for me. She doesn't have enough brains to end up in Slytherin anyway. Maybe Hufflepuff will take her!"

Astoria snapped.

"It's a wonder _you_ ended up in Slytherin, Daphne. Mum wasn't very happy with your marks last year. Exactly how many P's did you get again?"

Daphne's pretty face turned dangerous. Astoria smirked and tucked some of her long brown hair behind her ear. The pale boy bit his lip, the corners of his mouth tilting upward.

"What is she talking about?" asked the pug-faced girl, looking at Daphne quizzically. _God, _Astoria thought,_ what a thickhead. Maybe Hufflepuff would take _her.

"Nothing…!" said Daphne shrilly. "Nothing, Pansy, she's just being stupid."

Astoria snorted. "That doesn't mean much coming from you." At this some snickers broke through. The pale boy smirked even wider. Daphne opened her mouth, then closed it again. She sat back down and stared at Astoria poisonously. Pansy stuck her nose up in the air, making her little black bob flip. She turned to look at the pale boy and her mouth turned into a sickeningly sweet smile that made Astoria's stomach turn. Her head inclined toward his, almost ingratiatingly. He looked straight ahead at the wall.

"So how was _your_ summer Draco?" asked Pansy. Astoria noticed that her voice was very different from when she had been sneering earlier. Astoria rolled her eyes. She looked out the window, letting her thoughts drift. The scenery rushed past behind the panes and Pansy's chatter dulled to a background noise. The boy named Draco let her go on and on, but whenever he did speak his drawling voice scraped over Astoria's nerves like a piece of burning metal. It ignited the rage she had felt earlier and she felt her blood turn icy in her veins.

He had insulted her and made her look foolish in front of everyone. Astoria suddenly noticed how very like Daphne he was with his sleek blonde hair and light, condescending eyes. _Although he's even fairer than she is_, Astoria thought.

Pansy was still talking to him when his pale eyes flicked from the wall to look at Astoria. She noticed that his eyes were grey, like water under ice, yet they seemed to burn her. She thought she saw the corner of his mouth twitch slightly as if in the beginnings of a smile. Then he sneered and made a quiet, disparaging noise. Astoria felt her face flush in fury. She glared at him then turned away to face the door. She fumed silently, her face still impassive, and refused to look at him until the scarlet train stopped on the dark platform that led up to the school.


	2. Chapter 1: A Sister's Revenge

**Author's Note:** **The prologue took place _after_ the dementors had already come and searched the train for Sirius Black, which is why they do not make an appearance. This chapter has been edited and is in Draco's sixth year. Sorry, but I am constantly trying to improve. All credit goes to J.K. Rowling. Reviews are appreciated!**

Chapter 1: A Sister's Revenge

_March_

_"Incendio."_

The word was barely an octave, but the answering scream echoed through the Great Hall. A fourteen year old girl with long brown hair quickly stowed her wand out of sight and forced back the satisfied smirk that threatened to spread across her face. All around her peoples' heads whipped toward the Slytherin table.

"Aaaaaaaggggggghhh!"

Blaise Zabini leapt out of his seat, eyes wide in horror, and jerked around trying to snuff out the flames that had suddenly erupted over the backside of his robes. Laughter spewed from the other tables as several other Slytherins tried to help him out and were tangled up in the mix. By the time the fire was doused Zabini had a large hole seared into his back pockets.

He looked around wildly, drawing his wand.

_"Who the bloody hell did that?"_

There was a brief scuffle as people throughout the Hall all turned to look at one another. Some of them continued to laugh while others started whispering. Zabini's slanted eyes narrowed into slits. Astoria stood up silently among the throng of Slytherins that were crowding around Blaise and started to walk away.

"GREENGRASS!"

Astoria froze. The crescendo of voices that had filled the Great Hall only seconds ago suddenly shut off as though muted by a command. _Damn it!_ Astoria hissed in her mind. She turned around slowly, her face completely aloof.

"Yes Blaise?" she asked innocently. Zabini's wand twitched.

"You…" Blaise's voice had turned soft and dripped with venom.

Astoria put on a look of confusion. "What did I do?"

Zabini's knuckles cracked as he tightened his fingers around his wand. He was breathing through his nose and his eyes gleamed with malice. He raised his wand an inch.

"You set fire to my robes!" he spat, "Don't play dumb! You're dead, little girl. You and your stupid sis-!" Astoria cut him off and pointed her wand at his chest. She glared up at the dark sixteen-year-old who towered above her with murderous eyes.

"Speaking of Daphne," said Astoria coolly, "she said to tell you that it's a good thing that you inherited your mummy's good looks since that's the only way you'd ever be able to satisfy a woman."

The Great Hall exploded in roaring laughter and Blaise turned purple in rage. Astoria lowered her wand and started to leave when…

"I could say the same thing about _her!"_

Something white hot shot through Astoria's veins and she snarled. Facing Zabini again she smiled and raised her eyebrows in a mock look of utmost astonishment. She tilted her head to one side slightly.

"Are you claiming to be a _woman_ Blaise?" asked Astoria in awe. "I didn't know this about you! But…" She paused and looked him up and down slowly. "Now that you mention it, it's becoming more and more obvious…"

Howls of hysteria came from every direction. Some Gryffindors fell out of their seats and rolled on the ground. Astoria smirked and turned on her heel with the image of Zabini's livid face etched gleefully in her mind.

_Astoria held her sister Daphne as she wept, deep sobs wracking her thin body. She rocked her back and forth gently and stroked her golden hair. "Shhhh…"_

_Daphne continued to cry and her voice came out in muffled, broken gasps. "I-I thought… I t-t-thought h-he...!" She choked out a quiet wail and pounded her fist against the cushioned back of the sofa they were sitting on._

_Watery green light filtered in through the windows of the damp underground common room and fell on Daphne's face, making her look like a corpse. She shook, and fury and pain spilled from her eyes in liquid torrents. Astoria felt something in her chest constrict._

_Zabini had been a liar and a cheat. What Daphne had seen in him, Astoria didn't know. Perhaps it was his looks or his snotty air that so closely mirrored Daphne's own… But whatever it had been was no excuse._

_Astoria patted Daphne on the back gingerly. She dared not say anything for fear of upsetting her and didn't know what there was to say. Telling Daphne that Zabini was a self-righteous prat who deserved to be eaten by the Giant Squid probably wouldn't help much, even if it was true. There was no improving Daphne's mood._

_Astoria sat with her sister until the fire burned itself out in the grate and didn't move; even when Daphne eventually sunk into a restless sleep. The green light barely flickered now but Astoria could still see Daphne's face. It was not peaceful. Her normally smooth brow was furrowed slightly and a frown marred her perfect mouth. A small expression of pain shone through on Astoria's countenance, but no one was there to see it._

_Daphne had been stupid to trust Blaise and stupid to think that he loved her. She was too open for her own good. Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

_Astoria bit her lip, her dark eyes staring down at her sister's angelic form and a stinging ray of jealousy zinged through her. Then Daphne's face crumpled in her sleep and a tear slid from her closed eye. Astoria felt an icy fist close on her heart and she wiped the hurt from her own expression. That night she made a vow that anyone who hurt her sister would deeply regret it._

"Why do you even bother with that?"

Daphne's listless remark echoed in the center of Astoria's brain. She rolled her eyes. She knew that her sister was upset, but still…

"Because I actually want to pass my exams, unlike you."

Daphne snorted and continued to flip through her copy of _Witch Weekly, _her blue eyes dull and uncomprehending. Astoria sat in one of the stiff black chairs and sorted through the plethora of papers that lay littered about her lap. A sleek calico cat lay primly at her feet, its deep aqua-green eyes surveying the room icily.

There was a slight rustle as Daphne lay down and her head slumped against one of the cushions on the couch. The magazine dangled between her delicate fingers with their polished nails like a dead leaf. The fire made the shadows dance momentarily.

Astoria reread her scribbled notes, attempting to memorize them. The homework alone was annoying enough without all of this. She ran her fingers through her hair resignedly. _Suck it up!_

Astoria shifted her cramped knees from beneath her and a book dropped from her lap, landing only inches away from the cat. It thudded as it hit the floor and the cat leapt up with an indignant hiss. Daphne blinked.

Astoria groaned quietly and bent down to retrieve it. The cat glared at her haughtily. Astoria sighed and rubbed the creature between the ears and along her intricate silver collar.

"Sorry, Hecate." The cat was stubborn for a minute before she purred and rubbed her nose against Astoria's palm. The girl continued to stroke the cat and relax for a time until the door to the Slytherin common room swung open. Astoria's eyes narrowed.

Pernicious laughter rang around as Pansy and her little throng came in. The girls were all chirping together so that the noise carried. They swarmed around the couch where Daphne lay and Pansy dropped down beside her. The other girls huddled around, whispering and giggling.

Pansy flipped her hair back. "Oh, get up Daphne! Stop moping around, honestly. It's pathetic. There are lots of other boys. Blaise has probably found another girlfriend by now anyway."

Astoria saw pain flit across Daphne's face at the mention of Zabini and snarled under her breath. She had a sudden urge to throw something at Pansy's head, but resisted the impulse. Pansy continued to babble obliviously.

"I mean, why not flirt with someone else? There are plenty of good-looking purebloods around here…"

Daphne shook her head. "I just don't feel up to it right now."

Pansy sneered slightly at Daphne's statement. "You should come to Hogsmeade with us sometime. We can gossip and get your mind off things. Blaise has high standards, so it's really no wonder that you weren't good enough for him."

Astoria felt her fist clench. Below her, Hecate's bright eyes narrowed and her tail twitched. _Why can't they just leave already?_ Astoria was finding it a lot harder to concentrate on her work now. She found herself reading the same lines over without retaining them.

Daphne did not say anything. She bit her lip and stared at the wall while Pansy went on. A full thirty minutes passed before Pansy realized that Daphne was not responding and she stopped, irritated.

"Daph! Will you _pay attention?"_

Daphne looked at Pansy tiredly. "What?"

Pansy sniffed, her face looking bizarrely canine for a moment. "This is exactly what I'm talking about! You have no life now! Get over it. You need to pull yourself together and stop hanging around _her_." The patronizing venom that flooded Pansy's last word told Astoria exactly who she was referring to.

Astoria raised her eyebrows coolly. "Oh believe me Pansy, you're not exactly my idea of ideal company either."

The remark was brushed away with an impatient flick of the wrist and a flip of dark hair. Pansy Parkinson's hard eyes trained in on Astoria and she sneered. Her nose turned up into its favorite position in the air and her voice raised an octave.

"Oh shut up! What would _you_ know? You've never had a boyfriend. You don't even have any _friends_. No one in their right mind would go out with you!"

Astoria glared at the girl, blood thundering in her ears. A million retorts raced up onto her tongue. Her fingers itched for her wand. She wanted so badly to make Pansy leave, to make her cease tormenting Daphne, to wipe that look off her face, to-

_Stop._

Astoria blinked and relaxed back into her chair. She mentally chided herself. _This isn't going to solve anything. Getting in a fight will only upset Daphne more…_ Astoria's eyes swept over Pansy. _I'll get her someday. Now's not the time._

Pansy smirked nastily. She turned back to Daphne, who still remained quiet. After rolling her eyes she continued on to her favorite subject.

"Draco's been distant lately." Pansy's mouth bowed into a pout. "I don't know what's wrong with him! He won't talk to anyone… I mean," she started to whine, "I can understand him not talking to _some _of the stupid lowlifes around here, but he should talk to _me!"_

Daphne nodded vaguely in agreement with the other girls. Astoria wanted very much to abandon the room and go up to bed. She was sick of hearing Pansy's voice and she had no desire to hear about her arrogant, insufferable boyfriend. Hecate had fallen asleep long ago, bored by the drone of the chatter.

By the grace of the clock's toll, Pansy noticed how late it had become. She seemed dissatisfied that she was not getting more of a response from her sleepy gang. At last, Daphne's drooping and circled eyes seemed to break through the barrier of her skull. She noticed that one of her girls was nodding off and cleared her throat contemptuously.

"I'm going to bed. The rest of you come as well."

Astoria stayed right where she was as the others filed off into their dormitories, trailing after Pansy's heels. Daphne looked back at Astoria one last time before pursing her lips and following. Astoria couldn't help but notice how lifeless her sister seemed, but she also felt irate that Daphne had not taken up for her.

_What did you expect?_ Astoria snorted. She was being stupid. Letting her eyes fall to her notes and the words in front of her once more, she cleared her mind and attempted to focus again. It was almost an hour later when someone else entered the almost empty common room.

The sound of the stone door opening and closing swiftly jerked Astoria out of her immersive stupor. The person swaggered into the greenish light of the lamps before they noticed her. Astoria's eyes narrowed. The light grey set that belonged to the other flashed at her expression.

"What are you glowering at?" drawled Draco Malfoy snidely.

Astoria did not answer him. The dark aquatic patterns that came through the windows played around his white blonde hair and curved along the lines of his face. She had no intention of speaking to him. She hadn't for three years and she wasn't about to start now.

He gave her a withering look that made her want to slap him. He stood there for a moment, staring at her and taking note of her insignificance. Inside, Astoria iced over.

"You don't say much _do _you? Blaise was less than amused about that little trick you pulled. You certainly had no problem speaking up then. I'd pick on people my own size, if I were you."

Astoria longed to tell him that she didn't give a damn what he thought and where he could stick his advice. Still, she refused to give him any sort of satisfaction. She didn't care that the Greengrasses and the Malfoys had been pureblood acquaintances for generations. Daphne could be as hospitable as she liked and Pansy could drool over him all she wanted, but Astoria would have none of it. She left her face completely impassive. With one curt movement, Astoria looked Draco up and down coldly before sneering down at him.

He stood slightly rigid in disbelief at her insolence. His eyes were slits and his mouth was drawn into an arrogant line. Gathering up her books and pulling a cranky Hecate into her arms, Astoria left the common space and retired to her dormitory. Draco Malfoy was left to himself with nothing but a dark, empty room and a deeply unnerving frustration that he could not seem to name.


	3. Chapter 2: Complicated

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the extremely long time period between updates. My life has been incredibly busy with school and whatnot. It may take me a while to add new chapters, but I promise that I _will_ finish this story.

Chapter 2: Complicated

Astoria was under the impression that she was going insane. That had to be it. What else could explain what she was seeing?

Daphne sat giggling in Blaise Zabini's lap out in a sunny patch of the grounds. He looked at her slyly through his dark slanted eyes and toyed with her hair, his fingers twisting up in the golden strands. Astoria watched as her sister smiled and laughed. This could not be happening.

She wanted to scream. How could Daphne take him back so soon after what he had done to her? Astoria remembered watching her sit up at night and shift lifelessly from one class to another. Barely a week had passed since then. How could she simply forget and forgive him for causing her so much pain?

Daphne looked away for a second, blushing, and Astoria saw Blaise wink at a group of Slytherin boys who had been watching with amusement from the sidelines. She watched them smirk and wolf-whistle under their breaths as they sauntered away. Fire burned inside of her and she clenched her teeth. Blaise leaned in to whisper in Daphne's ear and his hand began to move slowly up and down her knee…

Astoria turned and stormed back down the corridor where she had been standing. So much for her plans to spend the remainder of her Friday out by the Lake. Fury pounded behind her temples and she no longer looked or cared to look where she was going.

_She's stupid! They both are! They're just thick, shallow, airheaded—_

WHAM! Astoria fell backward, knocked off her feet from the collision. She heard a stream of curses issue from above her as the person who she had run into stumbled forward and lost their balance, landing on top of her. Astoria struggled and tried to push the body off. "What the hell-?"

She found herself looking up into a pale sneering face with light grey eyes narrowed in irritation. _No!_ Astoria felt her heart freeze in her chest and she pursed her lips. Hot blood rushed up into her cheeks. Her lack of breathing did nothing to help the situation.

Forcing herself to speak calmly, Astoria glared at Draco. "Get. Off. Of. Me."

Draco blinked and stared at her angrily. Some part of Astoria's subconscious took in the darkening shadows beneath his eyes that she had not noticed before. Why hadn't he moved or said anything? This wasn't like his normal, impudent manner. He didn't even open his mouth. Perhaps his brain was so full of hot air that it was having trouble registering everything.

Astoria wasn't going to wait on him. She took advantage of his brief state and shoved him off of her roughly so that he toppled sideways. Draco snapped out of whatever had been hindering him and shot to his feet, grabbing her wrist as she stood and began to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going, Greengrass?"

"Let go!"

"You ran into me. Apologize, and I just might."

Astoria pulled but his fingers remained latched firmly. She faced him slowly, trying hard to refrain from reaching for her wand. It was a tempting option…

"It was an accident. I'm not going to say I'm sorry for something stupid like that."

Draco's lip curled higher at her blunt remark. He seemed to look her over distastefully. _He's probably figuring out how to get me in trouble for this. Well, he can just—_

"What makes you think you have a choice? I'm older than you. I'm a Prefect. My family is considerably more powerful than yours. You may be well off, Greengrass, but your name only goes so far. Trust me; you have no idea who you're dealing with!"

Astoria raised her eyebrows. At least he seemed to have gone back to his normal self. What a joyous relief. She looked back at him rebelliously. His arrogance drove her over the edge. It made every fiber in her ring with exasperation.

"No," she said coolly, "I think I know exactly what I'm dealing with."

Draco sneered and the late sunlight filing in through the side corridor windows made him look even paler than usual. It didn't suit him well, and Astoria noted that it seemed as if he had grown thinner. His skin seemed almost stretched over the sharp points of his chin and cheekbones, carrying a sickly greyish undertone. The eyes were filled with their common haughtiness yet something seemed off about them… But perhaps it was only the light.

"Don't be a smart-arse, Greengrass."

Astoria smirked, fighting the unreasonable urge to laugh. God, how many times had she heard _that _in her lifetime? Did he honestly think that his saying it would have more of an impact? Her mother, sister, and various others had all beaten him to the punch. Still, here was proof that they wouldn't be the last.

"Why do you say that like it's a possibility?"

He scowled at her. "Forget it. I don't need to be wasting my time talking to stupid little fourth years like you." He cut her off as she opened her mouth to retort, his face now hard and suspicious. "What are you doing on the seventh floor anyway?"

Astoria faltered. She looked around her quickly in a bit of disbelief. Blood colored her cheeks. Had she really been so angry that she had scaled several floors without noticing? _Ugh! What is wrong with me? _Draco's eyes were slowly lowering into slits. His fists clenched, but the knuckles stood out in a show of inexplicable anxiety.

"I— Nothing. I didn't mean to come up here."

His mouth set into a skeptical line. He looked right into her eyes and Astoria felt an odd thrill flash through her that made her heart stutter in…what was it? Fear? Uncertainty?

"You should pay more attention to where you're going. You wouldn't get in peoples' way as much and then they might actually be willing to listen to you."

Astoria's eyes flashed coldly. "Maybe if you stopped being such a prat people might actually be willing to stop making jibes at you. Then you wouldn't have to flounder for a better comeback."

Draco blinked, his eyebrows furrowing for half a second. The frustration that showed through his mask made her insides sing with satisfaction. He glared at her icily before shoving past her. Astoria watched him saunter off out of sight before leaving the deserted corridor herself, still perturbed for more reasons than she was capable of fathoming.

The Slytherin common room was strangely quiet when Astoria awoke from her nap several hours later. The usual laughter or rustle was absent, and the only noise seemed to be the rushing sounds of the water that flowed and tossed overhead. She shivered slightly beneath her blankets and blinked groggily. It was hard to tell what time of day it was with the light coming through the water before it reached the windows, but it seemed to be much darker outside than when she had fallen asleep.

A brief battle took place in Astoria's head as she debated whether or not she should go back to sleep and just deal with the cold or force herself to go downstairs where the fire was. In the end the fire was just too good to resist. She pulled back the green sheets and ran her fingers through her hair a few times before slipping back into her shoes and trudging to the door.

The stone hallway leading out to the common room was even damper than the dormitory had been so that it felt like the inside of an icebox. It wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world, but one got used to it after three years. The lamps that hung from the walls cast just enough emerald light on the floor so that Astoria could see where she was going without stumbling. She had just put her hand out to reach for the door handle at the end of the way when she heard muffled voices through the cracks.

Astoria stopped. Perfect. She had hoped to sit and warm up without the intrusive company of Pansy Parkinson. There was no doubt about the identity of the speaker, even though she was using hushed tones. Or exaggeratedly hushed tones, rather. Her voice came out loud and breathy as though she were trying too hard to make what she was saying sound secretive. Astoria turned to go back.

"What do you mean by 'special assignment'?"

The voice was Daphne's.

Astoria went back to the door and opened it just a bit so that the tiniest sliver of light cut into the darkness of the hall. She pressed her ear to the opening so that she could hear. It was a few more prolonged minutes of silence before Pansy answered her sister.

"I mean a mission from _Him_."

There was a soft collective intake of breath that could have almost been a gasp. Astoria could picture Pansy's gang shifting glances at each other slowly in unison. Pansy would be loving their reactions. Astoria strained her ears. Daphne spoke up again, lower this time.

"You… You don't mean—"

_"The Dark Lord." _Even from the cover of her hiding place Astoria could practically feel Pansy smiling. There was another collective pause as the words sunk in. Astoria felt an automatic tiny chill shoot up her spine that had nothing to do with the cold.

"Honestly, Pansy," Daphne said skeptically after a while, "how do you expect us to believe that? He may have connections but he's only sixteen! Even _if_ You-Know-Who really favored the Malfoys, why would he give a kid such a special job?"

Pansy spoke a bit sharper, miffed. Obviously she wasn't used to being questioned. Her gang usually just went along with whatever whim popped into her malicious little brain.

"He's _not _a kid! His family is high up in power and will be more powerful than ever now that the Dark Lord is back. It's an honor! You should show more respect! Once he completes this mission anyone that he likes will have a bit of that power."

Astoria could see Daphne rolling her eyes, although her voice was slightly hesitant. Pansy's tone had been dripping with insinuations. Any fool in the room could tell who she was referring to.

"And then you'll be his pureblood little _queen_? Pansy, really—"

"It's…dangerous… Isn't it?" This voice was slow and rough. Despite the thickness of the atmosphere, Astoria found herself marveling that Millicent Bulstrode was capable of stringing together such a _complicated_ sentence.

"Of course it's dangerous, you idiot! Why do you think he's been having to be so careful and sneaking around so much? Why would you even ask such a stupid question?" Pansy snapped. Then she purred with admiration. "He's _so_ brave. Just you wait! He'll be rewarded for this. But keep your fat mouths shut or we could all be in serious trouble! If you blab, you'll be sorry."

Astoria was in doubt whether Pansy was clever enough to carry out her threat but that feeling was buried beneath the stream of others that had invaded her body. Her brain was reeling in a small state of shock as it calculated what she had just heard. She backed away from the door and made her way back to her dormitory where she sat down on her bed.

Draco Malfoy's face came floating into the fog of her mind in sharp detail. She saw once again his pale eyes that had been bright with arrogance, yet overshadowed by some disturbance from behind. The dark patches beneath his eyes seemed to stand out against the whiteness of his skin. He _was_ thinner. He _was _ill. He most certainly was up to something. Astoria tried to push everything out. He was still a git. He had never done anything that would make her give him the slightest hint of pity or concern. But he was not well, and now Astoria knew why.

The light coming in through the windows fell faint so that she was left in nearly pitch darkness. Stiffly, she crawled back under her covers and drew the curtains closed around her bed. Before she finally drifted to sleep she saw Draco emerge again from some annoyingly persistent part of her subconscious. His expression made Astoria shrink as he lifted the sleeve of his robes over his left forearm to reveal a black tattoo of a skull with a hungry snake uncoiling out of its wickedly smiling mouth.


	4. Chapter 3: Shining Star

**Author's Note:** I'm back! Draco and Astoria have been pestering me to get their story out to all of you faster, so I'm trying to do so in between my schedule. Thank you for all of the reviews! Please feel free to add more, they are much appreciated!

Chapter 3: Shining Star

Suspicion changed everything for Slytherins. The harrowing thought that Draco Malfoy might be a Death Eater held an immense power. Astoria, meanwhile, was trying not to think about it.

The Great Hall was relatively normal the morning after the conversation between Parkinson and the others had been overheard. People were bustling around the tables and talking over their breakfast about whatever happened to be on their minds. For some it was still Apparition lessons or Luna Lovegood's commentary on the last Quidditch match. For others (mainly at the Slytherin table) it was how the Gryffindor team had lost that match when their own beater had taken out Potter with a bludger. Needless to say, McLaggen had gained some light in the Slytherins' favor. As much as a Gryffindor could, anyway.

No one seemed to take notice of a single blonde boy's strange behavior anymore. Astoria wasn't so lucky. Her usual silence must have developed more weight to it. Either that or her sister had become uncharacteristically observant.

"What's wrong with you?"

Astoria looked up from her glass of pumpkin juice, not realizing that she had been staring into it for about ten minutes. Her head had been whirling still. Ever since her dream she had not been able to shake the image of the black tattoo, much to her bitter annoyance. It was bad enough that she had to put up with any memory of him. She didn't need Daphne to butt in as well.

Astoria feigned a look of deep sincerity. "The giant squid kept floating by my window the other night."

Daphne's blue eyes sparked with a bit of interest. Huh, nice change for once. She raised one of her perfect golden eyebrows.

"Really?"

"Yes. He kept tapping on the panes with his tentacles and wanted to know if you'd dump Blaise and go out with him on a date by the shallows."

Her sister snorted and rolled her eyes. "You're weird, you know that? It's no wonder people don't hang around you much. Why don't you go visit that squid with Looney Lovegood and make his day?"

"Wow, you really _have _gotten better at your retorts! Maybe now you'll be able to properly talk back to something other than a wall."

"I just mouthed off to you, didn't I?"

"We'll debate on your definition of mouthing off at another time. Still, you're making progress."

Daphne pursed her lips, watching Astoria intently before turning away. _Diversion, check. _She would have to be more careful about how she handled herself. If Daphne had noticed it would only be a matter of time before other, more formidable people noticed her distraction. Astoria's eyes flicked to the shock of silvery blonde a couple of feet down the Slytherin table. No. She wouldn't have that.

When Astoria looked back she found Daphne looking at her again. She watched the blue eyes move from Astoria to Draco and back again. A curious expression started to quirk over her sister's brow and the corner of her perfect mouth twitched in an almost wickedly amused motion.

Astoria's whole frame hardened. "What?" she snapped.

"Nothing," said Daphne airily, taking a dainty sip of water, "nothing at all."

Astoria clenched her jaw. What was she trying to get at? Why did she look so smug? Astoria hated that look. Hated it, hated it, _hated _it.

Her frustrated silence was interrupted when Zabini slid down to wrap his arm around Daphne and pull her close to him. Several other swaggering boys followed to slump down in a flock around the two and Astoria knew that their eyes, despite the possessiveness of Blaise's arm, would all be glued to her sister. One of them jostled her out of the way and took up a place on Daphne's left. Astoria resisted the urge to overturn her goblet over his head and settled for a rude hand gesture instead, but his back was turned and he didn't notice.

They were all caught up in Daphne's glow that seemed to radiate out from her shimmering hair and coy smile. Blaise was eating it all up, showing her off and kissing her forehead. Git.

Astoria scooted away from the crowd just as Draco got up and left the table in a quick walk.

She kept her eyes down and would not look at him as he passed her by. There was no way. She _refused_. Eating the rest of her breakfast suddenly became very important. Astoria filled her mouth with porridge and focused on finishing it.

It was when she went through the sixth floor on her way to Divination that she heard the sound. She slowed to a stop. The door to the boy's bathroom was not generally something that caught her attention, but there was no mistaking the sulking female voice coming from behind it that certainly didn't belong there.

"It's alright… You can talk to me…"

What the bloody hell was she _doing_?

Astoria had barely enough time to register her disgust before Moaning Myrtle's voice was answered by another.

"No. It won't do any good. They won't care what I've done. _He _won't care!"

The whole floor tilted and seemed to spin into space. Astoria could not move. It was impossible. Surely she was still asleep back in her dormitory and had not woken up yet and this was all another twisted dream. Because Draco Malfoy could not be confiding in Moaning Myrtle, could not sound so panicked.

Through the haze of shock, Astoria could hear the low sound of Myrtle's attempts at soothing consolations. There was a noise like quiet ragged breathing that did not come from the ghost. Draco's voice rose up again and the break in it made Astoria freeze.

"I'm trying… I have to do it. I can't fail or everything will be over, and no one will listen…"

Myrtle lowered her voice in an effort to sound sincere and entreating. "_I_ will. I certainly know what it's like to be bullied!" She was off on her own rant. "No one cared about _me_ either. Oh, you should have _seen _how they used to tease me! And not one listened until I was—"

Draco's answering small, shaky groan was barely audible yet Astoria could not erase the fear that she heard in it. Her heart shrunk in her chest and she backed away, fleeing down the passageway that connected the bathroom and the staircase leading up to the seventh floor. She climbed up and up until she was moving without thinking.

The words exploded inside her head again and again and rattled her down to the bone. Astoria suddenly felt a mix of shame at her intrusion and an evil satisfaction. He _wasn't _as confident as he always paraded himself to be. She had finally heard proof of that. She could use it against him and make him never talk down to her again.

Except…

Except it scared her more than anything else. _Why? What is he to me?_ That question was one that she knew was better left unanswered. He was a prat and an arrogant rich snob. Why had that conclusion become so muddled lately? It was best that she not think about him at all. Astoria cursed herself for listening. It only made things harder.

She scrambled up the ladder and through the trapdoor opening up into Professor Trelawney's classroom too late. The entire class looked up from their books and crystal balls to gawk at her. The woman teaching them turned to look at her with a clink of bangles and fixed her with her huge, magnified insect eyes.

"Ah… Miss Greengrass. I was just telling the rest of your classmates how I had predicted your late arrival an hour before. The Inner Eye has proven itself true yet again… Well, take a seat, my dear… I am happy to see that you have not been taken ill by scrofungulus." Professor Trelawney eyed one of the girls snickering on her left. "Although I foresee others not escaping so luckily in the near future…" Silence.

Astoria hurried across to one of the unoccupied pouffes near an open crystal ball and fell onto it. Mechanically, she retrieved her supplies out of her bag. The smooth orb sat on its stand before her and swirled with grey mist. For an instant she thought she could barely make out the figures of a young, pale haired man with a frightened expression standing before an old man with a long silver beard. It jarred her in place and her brown eyes snapped up to examine the ball in greater detail. But in the time it had taken her to blink, the image was gone.


End file.
